M ('Male Marastre')

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The Old French Ystoire de la Male Marastre, also known as Version M, is a particularly anomalous redaction of the Roman des Sept Sage narrative. It was composed the late thirteenth or early fourteenth centuries, with a ("much mutilated") text of the French Version A as its probable source, judging from the style and order of the first few stories (Campbell 1907).

Unusually, this version not only gives the name of the emperor (Dioclesien), but also the name of the prince, who is called Phiseus (or Fiseus). It also contains six unique stories, found nowhere else in the tradition, titled Filius, Nutrix, Antenor, Spurius, Cardamum, and Assassinus (replacing Puteus, Senescalcus, Tentamina, Virgilius, Sapientes, and Roma in Version A). Almost all of these additional stories (with the exception of Nutrix) have orientalised settings, and an unusually overt focus on religious conversion and/or conflict between Christianity and Islam.

In his introduction to his 1974 edition of the Ystoire, Runte notes that although all seven sages are introduced by name, two of them - Malcuidanz and Martins - do not appear to tell their stories (1974, p. xxiii). Runte suggests that Lentulus appearing twice to tell both Vidua and Cardamum is simply due to scribal error. However, the fact that the final story is told by Markes (or Marcus), the son of the sage Cato/Chaton, is indicative of his unusual prominence in the narrative. This also serves as evidence of the links between Version M and the 'continuations' (or sequels) to the Seven Sages material, in particular Le Roman de Marques de Rome, which continues the story of Markes.

Identification & General Information

Title
Ystoire de la Male Marastre

Tradition & Lineage

Branch of the tradition
Seven Sages of Rome
Adapted from (version)
A (Seven Sages)
Source for composition and adaptation information
Runte (1974)

Recorded Secondary Versions

Connected Manuscripts

Language & Composition

Language of version
Old French


Date of Composition
1250 - 1350


Source for date of composition
Runte (1974)

Modern Scholarship & Editions

Modern research literature
Runte (1974), Runte (1971), Runte, Wikeley, Farrell (1984), Foehr-Janssens (1994), Runte, Society of the Seven Sages Portal (2014), Campbell (1907)
Modern Editions
Runte, Li Ystoire de la Male Marastre (Version M) (1974)

Notes & Commentary

Note
Note: Spelling of sage's names taken from MS Ashburnham 52, using Runte's 1974 edition of that text.

Pattern of Embedded Stories in This Version

Connected Prints

 Has LanguageHas LocationHas Sort Date Of Print
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This page was last edited on 23 February 2026, at 12:08.
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